Legend of Zelda: Crusade of Thieves
by Kyle-Voakes
Summary: Injured in combat by Mandrag Ganon and his invading Gerudo barbarians, Link, a sole survivor of the Hyrulean Guard struggles to return back to his homeland, in which it's crushing turmoil of defeat is felt by its queen: Zelda.
1. Homeland Under Siege

A Legend of Zelda: The Crusade of Thieves

Chapter I: Homeland Under Siege

"There's too many of them," one of the Hylian knights shouted, his heavy shield slipping from his fingers after blocking the force of the enemy broadsword. Snapping his feet into a defensive posture, he made a valiant effort to counter-attack his Gerudo adversary, unaware of the imposing threat behind him. With a sharp thrust, the spear punctured through his armor, retracting freely above the Gerudo captain's head. Reaching for her horn, she pressed it up against her bloodstained lips and blew out a call for reinforcements. Nabooru could already see their victory was at hand, it was only a matter of vanquishing the few that remained. A heavy thunderstorm overshadowed the engaging armies, the Hylian soldiers fighting towards their eminent defeat against the Gerudo tribe of barbaric women.

Another wave of scimitar wielding foes rode on horseback towards the Hylian general. Darting her focus towards her archers, Impa commanded that they neutralize a portion of the incoming skirmish. Raising their bows, the archers released arrow after arrow, tearing through the wind and rain, hitting their targets with pinpoint accuracy. Satisfied with the progress, Impa readied the second platoon of knights, and for the archery squad to take arms. Now with swords in hand, the brave general led a charge against the remaining hundred of incoming Gerudo soldiers.

Far from Impa's attack, a much smaller group of battle-tired knights continued to push through the invaders. Still maintaining their balance on their horses, the knights slashed and stormed past the crowd. Witnessing the approaching line of enemies, Link was quickly distracted by his sense of dread, unexpectedly and suddenly being pushed off of his horse by a thrown glaive. While he was able to block the projectile, the inexperienced squire had landed onto his back with his sword rolling out of his palm. Quickly realizing what had happened, Link reached behind his back and grabbed onto his bow, launching an arrow at the nearest enemy. Twisting around and keeping his posture stable with a knee on the moist grass, the now lone Hylian knight shot every arrow he had left in his quiver, throwing his bow onto the ground and steadying his footing. Another Gerudo barbarian was approaching him on horseback, glaive aimed directly at his chest. Making a mad roll towards his dropped sword, Link was able to dodge the attack and reclaim the weapon into his right hand.

Seeing the Gerudo turn around, Link gripped tightly onto his shield and focused on the sharp point of the spear, squinting his eyes to a near close. The helmet on his scalp felt tighter around his head, the distinction of the battle surrounding him becoming clouded with a blur as he locked-onto the Gerudo enemy. Raising his shield, Link successfully countered the attack and unleashed a blow of his own, sending his blade upwards towards the Gerudo adversary, using the momentum from the horse to run the steel through his opponent and drive the attacker down onto the ground.

At that moment, Impa had already met with the reinforcements. It was a code of the Hylian knights to never surrender or retreat, a strategy which tributes the goddess of courage herself: Farore. They have been making progress with the battle until the storm began. Unknown to the Hylian general, the Gerudo king himself had been watching, waiting for the best time to be involved. It had been since the storm had begun, Mandrag Ganon, the only Gerudo male in the battle, made his presence known to the small defending Hylian knights. Setting his black grieves off onto the flat plains, he felt impressed with the lone swordsman whom had just proved his skill against an oncoming opponent. Brandishing his own self-crafted blade, the Gerudo king stepped towards Link calling out to him for a challenge.

Barely able to stand, Link raised his head up to Ganon, staring at the weapon he held, and the sharp arrowheads smelted into his gauntlets. The knight stabbed his weapon into the ground and leaned onto it, the weight of his shield keeping his left arm hanging by his side. Taking a deep breath, Link whispered a message of encouragement for himself and prepared to fight against his kingdom's rival.

It was Ganon who made the first attack, delivering a sweeping slash with the dull side of his sword towards Link's shield, weakening and nearly breaking his left arm in the process. Using his leftover strength, Link managed to push back Ganon's blade and drive his blade towards the Gerudo king's chest. His attempt was met with an elbow to Link's helmet, denting it into his face and obscuring his vision. Stepping back to remove the iron headgear, Link exposed his face to the elements, his blonde hair drenched with sweat and rain. His blue eyes widened at another aggressive attack, a downward axe-handled slash that would have cut the knight into two. It was quickly dodged with a side-step, rotating his back around the blade.

The rain seemed to stop for a second, realizing the error Ganon made in a forceful offensive. Link had already begun to spin, the speed of his blade increasing with his dodge. Ganon was still sending his nightmarishly designed sword towards the soaked dirt when the perfect counter was prepared for the Hylian. Swinging as hard as Link could, he broke past Ganon's defenses and bled his arm, a red mist shooting from the Gerudo king's shoulder. Groaning impatiently, Ganon decided that the time for games was finished. It was time to kill.

A scream of frustration caused the battle to stop, both Gerudo and Hylian forces watching the two as a line of crimson ran down Link's blade. Almost cursing at himself, Link began to back away as Ganon marched towards the inexperienced knight with hate. Thrusting his elbow, Ganon stabbed at Link's shield, slashing at it until it flew out of the blonde's hand. Link yelled out as the assault continued, blocking each attack with his sword until his right arm became frail. Just as quickly as his shield was taken from him, so was his sword, the blade spinning out of his grip, the force of Ganon's impacts causing the knight to fall into a sitting position. Link was defeated.

A grin formed onto the Gerudo leader's face, laughing as he slowly inched closer to the fallen Hylian knight. Tightening his hand into a fist, he let his thick, barbaric sword fall out of his grasp, which found a new object to squeeze onto. Securing Link's neck into his palm, he showcased his strength to his army and lifted the beaten Hylian off of his feet. Then the punches began. The spear-ended gauntlet made no promise of slowing down as Link's entire body was punctured. The attack was made worse when Ganon chokeslamed the knight onto his back, securing him under his knee as the stranglehold began to get tighter, damaging the blonde's vocal cords as his air passage was cut off. The world soon became a giant blur, fighting to remain conscious as Link saw one final punch being prepared for his head. Reaching out to protect his face, he saw the sharp end of the gauntlet penetrate through his right hand; however, no scream could be emitted from him.

A final crash of thunder exploded above the two armies, the rain settling as the battle soon continued after the one-on-one fight. Throughout the remainder of the conflict, a broken knight witnessed the defeat of the Hylian army, his allies falling beside him as Link struggled to remain alive, to remain conscious and aware. The Hylian knight was too injured to move, his body far too damaged to be useful. Link finally gave himself a final breath, unsure if he would awaken after what he had to endure. Falling into a state of unconsciousness, the blonde swordsman dreamed no dreams or envisioned no nightmares. The battle finished without him knowing it, and the invading Gerudo tribe would step closer towards their goal: the Hyrule castle and its queen, Zelda.


	2. Link's Awakening

Chapter II: Link's Awakening

The world seemed to fit itself back into place like a jigsaw puzzle. A bright sunlight gazing over closed eyes. Warmth blazing his face from an open window as the numbness in his limbs faded under the cushions of multiple blankets overtop of Link's beaten form. The act of moving caused him pain, recalling the injuries he had endured at the hands of the king of thieves. Link decided to lie still for a moment, refusing to move an inch so he can recollect his thoughts. Opening his eyes to a clear blue sky outside of a lumber cabin, the lack of any interesting sights made him focus on what he could hear around him. The puzzle pieces continued to shape the world, an ocean echoing into the cabin from the window. Seagulls floating in front of the sun made silhouettes of angelic shapes. The crashing tides outside left Link more distressed than relaxed, not enjoying the salty seas as much as a swift horse.

Forcing himself to sit up, Link tugged the blankets away of his torso. He felt an itch on his left shoulder, raising his bandaged hand over to the annoyance. Cloth was felt on his fingertips. Investigating the bandages on his hand, Link followed the white fabric which mummified his arm, looking down at the rest of his body to see that he was entirely wrapped in a carefully applied tourniquet; the distinctive red markings in the cloth left the Hylian knight with the memories of the battlefield he witnessed. Looking back to his right hand, he noticed a strange defection in his grip, gasping in a sudden pain as he attempted to make a fist. Instantly holding onto his right hand, Link realized that his right palm was severely damaged. The blonde knight hoped that it wasn't broken.

Slowly lifting his bandaged knees over to the edge of the bed, Link saw that the tourniquets left his entire body enveloped, wrapped down from his neck to his ankles. Shifting forward, he felt the dust from the wooden floor against his heels, pressing his toes into the tiles as he stood up. Turning his head towards an olive-green shirt sitting on top of a chair, the Hylian reached down and unfolded it.

Slipping the tunic over his head, Link pulled the fabric tightly against his shoulders and patted the wrinkles out from the front. It was a little big on him, the bottom of the shirt hanging around his thighs. An odd choice of clothes to leave for the unconscious knight, but it was better than being left in the bandages.

The familiar pains filled his right hand again after squeezing onto the door handle, pulling his arm back to his side and shaking the sting away. Grasping the metal knob with his left hand, Link flushed the cabin with a torrent of light, the sun staring directly towards the blinded soldier as Link shielded his eyes from the golden rays. Disoriented from the sudden rush of sunlight, he turned his head to face a welcoming beach and a flock of seagulls. They didn't seem to mind his presence.

"A little late to be waking up?" A soft voice called out from behind him, turning around to see a largely shaped woman standing with a bottle of dairy in her hands. Link could tell she was frail, her back was hunched over and her skin looked dry and loose; her hair as white and thin as a cobweb. The golden haired knight had to lower his chin down to see her. The size of the woman confused Link, as he wondered how such an elder could transport a fallen soldier from an ended conflict. Opening his mouth to speak, a tormenting flush of pain rose up with his words, barricaded inside by a broken vocal chord; all he could manage was the more simpler cry of injury, holding onto his neck as Link was nearly about to fall to his knees.

"Here, this would help." The old woman offered the wounded man some milk, holding the open bottle towards Link almost in desperation to help. He couldn't refuse. Grasping onto the glass container with both hands, he pressed the bottle against his dry lips and tilted the bottom upwards, pouring the thick, creamy milk down his aching throat. The pain was quickly remedied. Still holding onto the bottle, Link glanced back to the smiling woman and nodded with appreciation, handing the glass container back to her. He smiled back.


	3. A Great Depression

Chapter III: A Great Depression.

A cold breeze blew through the towering castle window, sending waves into the curtains of the royal throne room. The melting wax of the lit candles dripped onto the stone tiled floor as their flames vapourized, darkening the walls that echoed the voices of two indifferent people: the noble queen and a cloaked priest. Both dressed in shades of grey and red, the troubled Zelda of Hyrule sat her head against the cushion of the throne while the elderly bishop, Aghanim pleaded for the queen.

"Your majesty, I beg for your best interest that you halt these measures of aggression against the Gerudo invaders." Aghanim brought his thin, pale hands together as he approached the irritated monarch. She looked at the priest without any interest in his words, as they have been repeated far too many times that the meaning of surrender is nothing but a constant memory. "We have lost too many souls in the name of defense. Now is the time to retreat!"

"I will not allow my family legacy, or the Hyrulean people to fall victim to thieves and barbarians." The queen took in a breath to ease herself, standing to greet Aghanim's words of worry with a gentle grasp on his shoulders. Zelda whispered to the bishop, acknowledging his contributions as she responded with moistening eyes. "Your clergy has already done me a good service by providing the funds to train and equip my armies, but your concern is not something I can use to protect these lands." Turning to face the throne, the noble wiped out the tears forming in her pupils; her reputation was too strong for anxiety. She bowed her head down as she approached the window, staring at her people as they marched aimlessly around the marketplace. "I do not need to be reminded of the many wives I have turned into widows, of all the mothers I've left childless. With my kingdom at risk of invasion, these grievances only leave me in distress; as if I do not already have enough to endure."

"But my liege, it is insanity to continue your efforts with expectations that results will alter themselves." Aghanim approached the royal queen, his red robes blending into the curtains around him. His voice was cracking, showing signs of discomfort towards Zelda's ideology. "Reinforcing the militia is bringing both your kingdom and my clergy into ruin. The only ones profiting from all this death are the coffin-crafters." The two were instantly silenced by an approaching sight in the horizon: a lone horseman riding towards the castle, the crowds of peasants and labourers gathering around him in shock. The flag of the Gerudo had been impaled through the soldier.

It was pointing highly towards the skies as Ganon's insignia mocked the queen's efforts. Rushing to investigate the nightmarish insult, Zelda found the horse being subdued to a calm state by multiple servants. The body had been removed beforehand, placed by the city well. Almost immediately as she exited her keep, the people began shouting in protest against Zelda's intentions, a middle-aged woman accompanied by her youngest son collapsing into tears as the helmet of the dead man was removed. Ashamed, Zelda escaped the mob with her priest as they approached the castle entrance, her guards valiantly restraining the crowd.

"Okay," the queen agreed. "No more blood shall be spilled outside of this kingdom. I want you to tell the clergy to start collecting the people for extraction. The only faces I wish to see in the streets would be shielded by a helmet and armed with a lance. If I fail to defend my throne here in my own court, then I want you to deliver the citizens to Terminia."

Pleased by her understanding, the bishop nodded with approval, rushing to ease the enraged citizens. "Aghanim," Zelda concluded. "May the goddesses bless your journey."

"And may they bless your courage, my queen."


	4. The Links To The Past

Chapter IV: The Links to the Past.

The old woman ran her thumb up against the tough wooden cup in her grip, moistening her dry lips with the running spring water that had brought fortune to the household. Peering out the window into the afternoon day, the elder was squinting her softened eyes to see through the blinding sunlight, watching the soldier she had taken in practice shooting a rock resting on the arrow-punctured fence. His aim was off, the quiver on Link's back becoming lighter with every arrow he shot.

The Hylian knight grinded his teeth together at the loss of his patience, the arrow shaking in his right hand, the ache in his fist forcing his muscles to compress violently. Releasing the arrow, it flew underneath the wooden board, sliding into a stop through the scorching sands and joining the company of several other failures. Frustrated, the golden haired soldier sat back down and dropped his bow, staring at the injury he had in his right palm. His sword arm was useless, the nerves being severed to the point where coordination and precision was a feat that luck could only accomplish. Link shifted his eyes over to his left hand, tightening his fingers into a hardened fist and releasing them.

Lifting his bow back into use, Link took out another arrow. Placing it onto the string and letting the branch of the projectile sit against the leather ring on his finger, the blonde archer squinted his eyes at the target and pulled onto the arrow, sucking in the air around him to calm his heartbeats. The bow stretched as he pulled back on it, balancing himself as he assumed the best possible stance for shooting. Snapping his fingers open, the arrowhead ripped through the wind and stabbed itself into the obstruction, penetrating the fencepost. Link lowered his right hand, clutching onto the bow while his left hand searched for another arrow to shoot.

Smiling at the progress the man seemed to be making, the old woman slightly shook her head and went back to attending her own matters. The sounds of sharpened stone puncturing the wooden fence continued on for hours as Link was determined to adjust to his new situation: to abolish his current talents and re-master the arts of combat with his more stable left hand.

Striking his arm down, the golden haired mute aimed carefully onto the nails with the hammer. After such training destroying the fence, it was only fair that Link repaired it; he was content with the challenges. He tightened the fingers of his injured hand around the nail and tapped the head with the blunt hammer, driving the sharp metal into the wooden board. The tapping soon became crashing, slamming the heavy iron with such force that it would cause his arm to tire.

Stepping into the house, he nodded to the woman, who was busy preparing stew over the stove. As the broth bubbled, the fragile woman returned the gesture with another smile. The aroma filled the room with a delicious scent, anticipating the exhausted survivor for the best meal available. It wasn't long until his eyes saw what his nose had promised, following the bowl to the shaking, thin branches the woman had for arms. He pondered how such an ancient creature could at least summon the strength to even carry his sword. It would remain a mystery for him, for with each attempt to converse with his savior, the burn in Link's throat would return to remind him of the man that defeated him, the darkened armor he wore, the crimson hair on his scalp.

Link swallowed a spoonful of the stew, spinning and swirling his tongue trying to identify the ingredients in the mixture. The now inexperienced swordsman shielded his mouth with the back of his hand as he chewed too much to eat, closing his sapphire eyes with a heavy gulp. "You remind me of my son," the old woman spoke out. She had been staring at Link for the whole time he ate, studying his movements and manners. It was by sheer coincidence that both the man in front of her now and the man from before were also quiet at the table; Link would have started a conversation much earlier if he could. Curious, the knight raised his head up and gave the lady a look of consideration. He was quick to realize where his tunic had come from. Throughout the night, Link was told a tale about the elder's child. A brave youth that explored the deepest of caves, searching for the one moment where his efforts would pay off and reward him with hidden treasures; one instance he had retrieved an old-fashion, rusted blade. It was this find that influenced his eventual recruitment into the Hyrulean military, where he was never heard from again. She rose her finger over towards a display of what might have been a short, dull sword crafted from bronze, inferior to the tempered steel Link had in his sheath.

Sleeping with disturbances in his bandages that night, Link found slumber difficult with rushing images of exploration and irritation in his mind. Scratching an itch on his chest, he felt the sting in his wound as a pinch of red was smeared between his fingertips. The evidence of his battle-scars was well hidden behind the shadow of night, remaining still with his back pressed against the soft, stuffed mattress. Link glanced over at the window he had woken up to; staring at the night sky with a breath of future exhaustion went past his lips, the mute envisioned the trials he would have to face during his self-training. Practicing the grip of his right hand, Link tried to count how many fists he could make before getting used to the pains. The mute watched the moon reveal itself into the frame of the window, witnessed it's resonating reflection of the sun's light, then stared endlessly as it fled into hiding behind the opposite side of the window frame. He soon lost count.


	5. A Forest Maze

Chapter V: A Forest Maze

The crack of dawn lit the house with an fiery glow, illuminating the walls with an orange hue. Link sat up in the freezing air around him, the cold of night remaining as the moon's signature, that the stars did exist last night in the sunless sky. The blankets around him were in piles, moist with a sweat that dampened his bandages. The dreams were consistent ever since the fight, a horrid nightmare with his country engulfed in flames and the people imprisoned to be sold into slavery. The knight's recurring vision of his homeland being invaded by the Gerudo brutes was fuelling his desire to return. Link needed to return, as the codes of loyalty towards the army wished him to never retreat from a fight; Link was far from defeated yet.

For the rest of the morning, the recovering soldier had been practicing the grip of his right hand, finding it more than able to hold his shield. Slamming the face of his shield against the collection of eroded rocks by the beach, he soon found that such impacts only left a fading ache in his right knuckles. Blocking more than enough attacks would simply leave his arm limp, so he was to be careful about his defensive tactics. The blonde looked over his shoulder, finding the elder staring at him, watching his movements from afar. She had followed the footprints in the sand, holding onto a green cloth. The old woman approached the mute with a nervous shake in her fingers. Link instantly realized what she was doing, taking him in after surviving a battle, being dressed in the clothes of her dead son. The Hylian knight accepted the offer, studying the miserable expression on her face. Pulling the cap onto his scalp, he felt the fabric wrap around his brow in a perfect fit, watching as the woman's face lit up after seeing Link donning the green tunic and matching cap.

After a change into fresh bandages and another filling breakfast, Link felt that it was time to leave the cabin. The old woman persisted that he wore the green outfit as he left, in honour of her son who was never given the opportunity to return. At first, she didn't want Link to leave, grasping onto his arm upon reaching the door. She only smiled and fixed a wrinkle in his cap, dusting his clothes off and prepared to watch her son leave for the final time. "Don't look back," she instructed the blonde, opening the door for Link and leaning against the doorframe as he followed the path towards the forest. The green-clad knight did just as instructed and kept his head forward, giving the depressed elder the opportunity to receive a satisfying good-bye to her son.

The sands toughened into dirt under his leather boots, the oversized tunic being secured over his thighs with a belt. A satchel with the Hyrule insignia stitched into the leather waved by his side as Link stepped further down the dirt path, clenching his gloved hands to keep them flexible. His sword and shield weighted down onto his back, secured around his shoulder with a strap that had been connected to his belt with a masterful stitching. The sheath to his sword was hidden behind a backpack, which kept his sleeping bag and other supplies, the shield hanging off of the large travellers bag. The cap on his head swayed with a breeze, kept in place on top of Link's head.

The path was flat, a lack of footprints telling the knight that nobody had travelled this route in a long time. He was unsure about whether he was walking in the right direction at all, or if the path just dusted the trail clean over a short time. It was the only road to follow, and so he followed it. The trees began to grow thicker as Link travelled further down the dirt line, sheltering him from the sun's warmth, darkening his surroundings.

Upon reaching the end of the path, Link found that the forest had been erasing the dirt behind him, misguiding the knight into the deep woods. Was it a cursed magic of the nature around him, he questioned. Cracks of twigs in the distance brought the knight into attention, brandishing his blade in his hand, the thick shield in his right grip. Another crack came from behind, sending the mute into a spin to look behind him. All he was able to hear afterwards was his own breathing, the moist air of the forest entering his lungs with each inhale.

Another snapping of twigs was to his right, and still Link was unable to see anything. Then it finally sank in, the sounds did not come from around him, but above him! At the instant of realization, the blonde traveller felt three stings on the back of his neck, turning to see stones by his feet. It was followed by a rain, not of water however, but a shower of rocks. Lifting his shield above his head, Link ran desperately in search for some cover, unable to expose his ambushers with them hidden in camouflage, blending in with the branches and leaves of the woods. Dashing madly, the rocks kept pouring down onto his shield, unable to fathom the concept that it were the trees themselves that had been attacking him.

The ground under his feet suddenly opened to his weight, springing a trap that collapsed upon stepping onto the weakened earth. The fall seemed longer than it was, sliding down a tunnel and into a darkened grotto. Landing onto his feet, the fall's gravity pushed the knight onto his knees, paining the muscles in his ankles. Link rolled onto his back and looked up at where he had fallen, finding silhouettes of figures staring down at him. Almost playfully, one of them dropped another stone, the rock landing onto his chest. Then they fled, leaving Link with an uncertain fate. Standing back up, Link searched through his pack, using whatever light he could get to scroll through his inventory. He had been given some food for the hike, wrapped in a cloth. A bag of deku nuts for trapping wildlife. Flint and tinder to start a fire, but with no usable torch, he had no use for fire. Then, his hands gripped onto the item he was searching for, the lantern. Twisting the knob at the bottom, a flame was sparked and the cavern was lit up around him. Link swallowed hard at the sight, it had been a larger cavern than he had expected, with walls of vines and plants growing in the ceiling. Hooking the lantern onto his belt, Link took his first steps into the dungeon, clenching onto his sword with caution. He searched for an exit.


	6. The Forsaken Sanctuary

Chapter VI: The Forsaken Sanctuary.

The caverns were almost blinding with shadows, the Hylian mute finding his surroundings less visible as he traversed further. The air was getting colder, the dirt under his feet becoming softer with collected water dripping from above. Link clung his right hand onto the wall as his feet were engulfed into the sinking mud, sticking to the bottom of his boots and snaring the green clad soldier. The effort to snap his foot out of the mud was getting progressively more difficult as his boots sank deeper. Reaching up, Link took one of the vines and pulled himself upwards, the lantern on his belt fading with the passing seconds.

Holding the light forward, Link soon found that the cause of the mud wasn't only the water dripping above him, but a pool formed inside the earth. His feet were wet with the soaking coldness, the shake climbing up his legs to his ribs. The water reflected the lantern light around him, showing Link more of his surroundings in an orange glow. It was at that moment he spotted an unusual, unnatural craft in the wall, something that had been built inside the cave. Pushing himself over to the stone decoration, the water reached up to his waist when Link finally became able to touch the rock. Pressing his hand up against the block caused the pool to ripple, the walls rumbling as the stone was suddenly raised. Link crashed forward as the injured adventurer was sucked into the newly discovered opening along with all the collected water in the cave, gasping at the instantaneous flow that forced Link into an enlightened, tiled, and dry surface. The landing was heavy from the fall, screaming out in discomfort as the now wet swordsman pushed himself back on his feet. Nearly collapsing into his right knee, Link felt the sudden sting of pain drill into his left thigh, noticing some glass shards on the floor. His lantern had broken under his weight, now stabbing his upper leg, turning against the already battle-wounded soldier.

Raising his unbalanced head, Link tossed the broken lantern away, then rubbed the water and dirt away from his face, staring at what appeared to be a sophisticated interior to a house, perhaps even a castle. A hill of steps greeted the man with magically infused torches sticking out of the walls above it, burning their light for centuries or however long it took for the water to collect outside the temple door. Looking back at where he fell, the hole in the top of the wall continued to pour the green, mossy swamp water onto the tiles of carved rock, spreading towards Link in an expanding puddle. He must have fell two stories at least.

Collecting himself into focus, the blonde mute climbed up the steps into the front entrance to the underground temple. A compressing hall made his progression more uncomfortable than painful, the confined space making the air less breathable until he reached the opposite end, throwing himself out of the tight hallway. Sucking in a deep breath from the tedious busywork, Link discovered more vines and water coming from the ceiling, seeping and rooting down into the gaping tiles. Two more, wider hallways forking the path into two routes. Dragging his left foot behind him, Link stumbled to the left path, finding a metal door in front of him. Gripping onto the knob, he pulled and pushed on it. Locked. Sighing, Link walked back to the fork and took the right path, shifting his weight towards the uninjured leg the whole trip.

Stepping into the first room, Link examined what looked like a storage for a church with identical books of sermons and rituals, bibles and testaments packed onto shelves, cobwebs and dust covering the texts. Empty boxes and ruined furniture piled up against the walls around Link, his soaked boots and clothes moistening the dry floor, mixing with the dust around him as the droplets fell. Walking over to the storage room door, Link was nearly horrified at an unpleasant discovery before him, a grim fate of misfortune displayed in the form of the skeleton of a priest, dressed in a shade of aged rust over its brown, decaying bones. Ripping the dead hand off the door knob, Link gave the door a pull, a stairwell greeting the Hylian knight; however, it was a greeting of dread as the stairs could only go down, the upper flight having been filled with rubble and bricks.

Continuing downward, the torches guided Link further into the basement, the symbols and flags hanging lifelessly beside the flames, some of which have been burned into ashes, others meeting a worse end by having blood stained on the fabrics. The history was slowly being pieced together as more skeletons piled the floor with bones and broken swords, the rusted metal and crusted cloth separating the remains into two opposing forces: an attacking army of unknown origin, and the native warlock priests. Each room Link found in the halls would either be empty, occupied, or locked. It wasn't until the final door at the end of the path that Link would finally see a clue of where he was. An altar and benches filled the area. It was now without a doubt, that Link was in the ruins of a mystic monastery.

The high priest was still standing at the altar, leaning against it with a sword in its back, having been impaled directly into the structure. These robes were dark blue and grey, easily distinguishable from the red robed monks. Searching it for anything of value, Link didn't hesitate to think about robbing from the dead, feeling a set of metal branches dangling from it's belt. A set of keys! Link snatched the keys from the head priest and began walking back to where he began, planning to take the original left route that had denied him earlier. Stepping back into the hallway, Link's eyes widened at the sight of a new horror. It wasn't the sight of the skeletons anymore that haunted him, but the lack of skeletons that cursed the Hylian with panic and fear.

The floors were flat without a single bone left to step over, the equipment and robes were gone as well, almost as if the church had been abandoned instead of raided. Checking behind his shoulder, a single sword sticking out of the altar was all that remained from the grim sight. The shadows grew darker, the enflamed torches fading dim as the chill grew colder. Link swallowed heavily as he found the strength to step forward, the keys in his hand shaking violently, echoing the only source of sound within the basement halls.


End file.
